Articles tagged “startups”

Getting independent hotels that compete against one another and have various agendas to cooperate in a loyalty program such as Stash Hotel Rewards has its built-in challenges. However, despite the myriad obstacles, there is a market need for such a program.

Terry Jones and Rich Barton, the founders of Travelocity and Expedia, respectively, offer verdicts on what were once hot-button issues, as well as lessons for travel startups and more mature companies, as well.

The trouble today's most innovative services come up against is balancing the desire to deliver personalized benefits with individuals' desire for privacy. It's a fine line and companies must make easy for consumers to select.

AudioCompass is certainly off to a strong start in India, and importantly its audio tour guide apps work offline. A challenge for the startup going forward is that it seems like there would be little barrier to entry among would-be competitors.

Competing against the likes of Priceline's Kayak, Expedia's Trivago and even Google will be very tough going for Room 77. Is Room 77 giving up on the challenge or playing possum while it hones its mobile skills?

TripAdvisor has plenty of cash on hand, but if it is true to historical form, it will likely be seeking to continue making smallish acquisitions of struggling travel startups, such as it did with Oyster.com, on the cheap in 2014.